“A woman’s highest calling is not marriage or motherhood.” @jamieivey says this in her latest book and on this week’s episode of The Crystal Paine Show. I wholeheartedly concur.
But while most of us probably agree with this statement, how often do we let marriage and motherhood become completely all consuming — whether it’s the overwhelming longing to be married and/or have a baby or in how we walk out our roles as a wife and/or mom.
We can let our spouse’s happiness or our kids’ success become our chief end in life. We spend our days trying to figure out how to fix, solve, and save. We want to be part superwoman and part Holy Spirit. We think our children’s academic scores, social life, and spiritual health is a direct result of our efforts. Our sole job and aim in life is to have a good marriage and great kids.
Here’s the thing: I hope to have a strong marriage and I hope my kids love Jesus, but while I can love well and lead with humility, I can’t ultimately change or fix my spouse or kids — and that’s not my job nor my calling.
As a Christian woman, my highest calling is, as @jamieivey shared on this week’s podcast episode: “To know Christ and to make Him known.”
We unpack this and Jamie shares why we should be pursuing faithfulness over success and what this actually looks like. Download this episode on your favorite podcast player or go to the link in this post to listen in.
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In This Episode:
[00:33] Jamie. shares more about her background and family life.
[02:52] Why did she title her most recent book the way that she did?
[05:00] What do satisfaction and success mean to Jamie?
[07:31] Learn why she feels that a woman’s highest calling is not to be a wife and mom.
[09:40] What is a woman’s highest calling?
[11:14] Jamie shares advice on how you can make time to spend time with the Lord, even in the midst of a very full schedule.
[14:44] Want to change the world? Start right where you are.
[17:57] What does Jamie say to the woman who feels like she has nothing to offer the world?
[20:50] How does Jamie acknowledge the work she’s done and not compare to others?
[23:27] Jamie shares how she’s built relationships with her close friends and why they’re so important to her life and business.
[26:30] What is the difference between success and faithfulness?
Links and Resources:
- You Be You by Jamie Ivey
- If You Only Knew by Jamie Ivey
- Jamie’s Website
- The Happy Hour Podcast
- On the Other Side Podcast
- MoneySavingMom.com
- YourBloggingMentor.com
- My Instagram account (I’d love for you to follow me there! I usually hop on at least a few times per day and share behind-the-scenes photos and videos, my grocery store hauls, funny stories, or just anything I’m pondering or would like your advice or feedback on!)
- Have feedback on the show or suggestions for future episodes or topics? Send me an email: [email protected]
How to Listen to The Crystal Paine Show
The podcast is available on iTunes, Android, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can listen online through the direct player here. OR, a much easier way to listen is by subscribing to the podcast through a free podcast app on your phone. (Find instructions for how to subscribe to a podcast here.)
Ready to dive in and listen? Hit the player above or search for “The Crystal Paine Show” on your favorite podcast app.
Guest says
Oh my goodness, I love this! Growing up, I attended a conservative church – wonderful people with great teaching but definitely a bit…old school especially when it came to expectations of men and women. I remember my Sunday School teacher saying that a woman’s greatest calling was being a wife and a mother and asking, sincerely, “Isn’t the highest calling of a woman whatever God calls her to be? Even if that’s single or without kids?” I was an early teen but it just seemed so wrong to me to assume that one group of women were ‘higher’ than another, especially as I knew adult women who wanted to be married or have kids who weren’t/didn’t. God loved them, too, so why would he make them ‘lower’ because they didn’t get married or have kids.
Crystal Paine says
Thanks so much for your encouragement! I’m grateful this was a blessing to you!